Basic Introduction to Nanhulu
Nanhulu is a famous local specialty of Jiaxing, named after its cultivation in the waters centered around South Lake in Jiaxing. Also known as green nuts, yuan nuts, monk nuts, or Nandang nuts, the harvest season is around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Peel off the thin green outer layer, and you're left with the white flesh of the nut. It's crisp, sweet, refreshing, and thirst-quenching; once you've tasted it, you'll never forget it. When Nanhulu hits the market, though there's no official agreement, the people of Jiaxing have a custom of eating these nuts, a shared tradition. Nanhulu can be eaten as a fruit or used in cooking. Remove the shell, stir-fry them, and sprinkle with green onion for a dish that is visually appealing and delicious. Cooked with meat or made into a rice dish, they give off an enticing aroma and a unique flavor.
Existence of Nanhulu 5,000 Years Ago
Nanhulu has been around for over 5,000 years. According to archaeological findings, a carbonized round-cornered nut excavated from the Majiabang Neolithic site in Jiaxing is similar to the Nanhulu. Radiocarbon dating places it between 2685 and 4090 BC, proving that Jiaxing is the original birthplace of Nanhulu, a history that spans millennia. According to “Records of Suzhou Prefecture” by Fan Chengda in 1133 AD during the Song Dynasty: “In recent times, there is a type of dumpling nut that is especially sweet and fragrant, surpassing even the waist nut.” One reason for the long-standing fame of Nanhulu is its narrow distribution range throughout history, making it rare and precious. Both “Records of Jihe” from the Yuan Dynasty and “Miscellaneous Notes from Zitaoxuan” by Li Rihua from the Ming Dynasty record that within the waters centered around South Lake, “This item (referring to Nanhulu) does not extend east to Weitang (Jiashan), west beyond Doupeng (Tongxiang), south to Banluo (Haiyan), or north past Pingwang.”
Geographical Scope
The geographical indication product protection area for Nanhulu covers the administrative region of Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China, between longitudes 120°31′ and 120°56′ E and latitudes 30°35′ and 30°58′ N.
Nutritional Value
Nanhulu contains large amounts of starch, fat, sugar, and various vitamins, making it highly nutritious and suitable for both raw and cooked consumption. Stir-fried tofu with Nanhulu meat is a well-known local dish in Jiaxing. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Nanhulu has a sweet and slightly bitter taste, and when eaten raw, it can clear heat and quench thirst. When cooked, it can strengthen the spleen and invigorate qi. Modern scientific research indicates that Nanhulu also has anti-cancer properties. In Japan, boiling 30 fresh Nanhulu nuts daily and drinking the broth has shown some efficacy against stomach cancer and uterine cancer. Many health foods have been developed using Nanhulu, which can not only strengthen the spleen and stomach, invigorate qi, and fight aging but can also assist in treating stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, rectal cancer, and lung cancer, demonstrating both strengthening and therapeutic effects.
Product Characteristics
The Nanhulu from Jiaxing has a thin shell, white quality, tender meat, abundant juice, and a delicious taste. Most notably, its corners are rounded, earning it the name “round-cornered nut” or “monk nut”; its light green outer layer is round without sharp corners, with two rounded corners slightly raised, resembling a freshly boiled dumpling, hence another name, “dumpling nut” or “yuanbao nut.”
Historical Folk Customs
From a historical perspective, there were periods when the cultivation of Nanhulu was quite prosperous. Poems such as “The watery country, suffused with smoke and replete with water chestnuts and lotus” (by Lu Guimeng), “Ten acres of evening-clear water chestnut flowers” (by Wei Zhuang), and “Women in the lake bay sing while picking water chestnuts, their boats meandering among the flowers” (by Guo Yi) describe the thriving production of Nanhulu at the time. According to records, in 1932, the planting area of Nanhulu reached over 4,000 mu, with an average yield of about 750 kilograms per mu. In 1964, the planting area of Nanhulu was 9,082 mu, with a yield of 3,250 tons, the highest on record. During the 1970s and 1980s, the planting area of Nanhulu gradually decreased, leading to a significant drop in production. The main producing area, the Aquatic Products Brigade of Jiaxing Town, had an average annual planting area of 293 mu and a yield of 294.4 tons between 1964 and 1982. The farmers of Xujia Village, located beside South Lake, have accumulated extremely rich experience in growing Nanhulu.